Electric Picnic isn’t the only big ticket this summer
Electric Picnic isn’t the only big ticket this summer. There are alternatives offering everything from reggae to wellness events, writes Sasha Brady
After months of anticipation, the line-up for Electric Picnic has been announced. If you thought that the big reveal would boost ticket sales, you were wrong. By 11am every single ticket had been snapped up. The line-up wasn’t listed until midday.
The scramble for tickets to an event shrouded in mystery proves that the biggest draw for those who make the annual trek to Stradbally isn’t the headline acts, it’s that old cliche, ‘the vibe’.
This year’s lineup — which includes hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest, alongside Duran Duran, Chaka Khan and The xx — divided opinion but once festival-goers find themselves among the music, mud and mayhem, they’ll wonder why they ever complained in the first place.
For those who didn’t get their hands on a ticket, there are plenty more options around the country. With the summer heating up, if you can handle a Portaloo queue at 5am and €7 pints, the rest is a breeze.
BD Festival: April 14 Glendalough House, Annamoe, Co Wicklow Tickets from €44.05
The festival formerly known as Barn Dance returns to give people an excuse to swig warm cider on Good Friday when all the pubs are closed. As the woodland gathering celebrates its 10th birthday, it pulls in electronic music acts like Dax J, Huxley and cover band Smash Hits.
Vantastival: May 3 and 4 Beaulieu House and Gardens, Co Louth Day tickets from €40, weekend tickets €85
A teeny-tiny (read: intimate) festival that celebrates homegrown talent and campervan culture. A decent family-friendly option, it operates a BYOB policy to tip the balance in favour of the cash-strapped. Overhead, the Albatross share a bill with The Riptide Movement, Kila, Lankum, Orchid Collective and Corner Boy.
Forbidden Fruit: June 3 - 5 The Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin Day tickets from €59.50, weekend tickets from €145.50
The ultimate June Bank Holiday celebration and boasts a line-up made for dancing with Orbital, Aphex Twin, Hot Chip, Nicolas Jaar, Fatima Yamaha and Snakehips on the bill. Unwind with a mellow Monday line-up curated by Bon Iver, which includes Flying Lotus and Lisa Hannigan.
Life Festival: May 26 - 28 Belvedere House and Gardens, Co Westmeath Tickets from €159
Known for its dance music focus, the festival will host the likes of Rudimental, Maya Jane Coles, Nina Kraviz and Duke Dumont across its four stages. There’s also the joyful mix of fancy-dress and lakeside views.
B.A.R.E. In The Woods: June 9 - 11, Garryhinch Woods, Portarlington, Co Laois Day tickets from €50, weekend tickets from €125
Ireland’s fastest-growing boutique festival returns for its fourth year, following the sold-out success of the previous two years. The eclectic line-up features hip-hop pioneers The Sugar Hill Gang, reggae legend Natty Wailer, Irish festival favourites King Kong Company, My Tribe Your Tribe, The Hardy Bucks and plenty of unsigned acts hoping to convert festivalgoers to their fanbase.
Body and Soul: June 23 - 25 Ballinlough Castle, Co Westmeath Tickets from €135-€195
The Summer Solstice used to be an Alice in Wonderland-style affair that celebrated the bizarre and provided a welcome escape from flower crowns and over-zealous teens. But lately it’s started to feel like Electric Picnic Lite. This year the festival hopes to return to its leftfield beginnings with an over-20s
age-limit and a non-starry line-up which includes Metronomy, Lambchop, Sleaford Mots, Vitalic, Loah and Elaine Mai.
Sea Sessions: June 23 - 25 Bundoran, Co Donegal Day tickets from €49.50, weekend camping from €99.90
This surf, skate and music festival beat all the big players and was crowned IMRO Live Music Festival of the Year in 2016. Headline acts this year include The Coronas, Primal Scream, Badly Drawn Boy, Mr Scruff, Wyvern Lingo and more. If you want a break from the soundsystem you can partake in tag rugby, beach football tournaments and an ultimate Frisbee competition.
Belsonic Music Festival: June 6-30 Ormeau Park, Belfast Tickets from €58
An outdoor music festival which hosts a different open-air concert every night. Arcade Fire, Jess Glynne, The Chainsmokers and superstar DJ Martin Garrix are some of the acts confirmed.
The Summer Sessions at Trinity College: July 6 - 11 Tickets from €44.05
Not your traditional festival but a series of six one-day concerts in the grounds of Trinity College. Line-up includes jazz supremo Gregory Porter, James Vincent McMorrow, Bell X1, Pixies, Two Door Cinema Club and alt-J.
Simma Down Festival: July 8 Grangecon, Co Wicklow Tickets from €45
We don’t know if it’s the fresh air or their Happy Pear diet but the people of North Wicklow radiate an infectious sunny vibe all-year round, so we’re expecting this family-friendly festival to transport us to the tropics of Trinadad. No acts have been announced yet but expect plenty of reggae, dancehall, afrobeat, samba and grime.
Longitude: July 14 - 16 Marlay Park, Dublin Day tickets from €69.50, two-day tickets from €129.50,
weekend tickets from €189.50 Longitude can feel like the messier, more brazen, little sister to Forbidden Fruit. Grime heavyweights Stormzy, Skepta and Wiley will join The Weeknd, Picture This, Dua Lipa, Jack Garratt, Glass Animals and Jorja Smith at this year’s festival.
Castlepalooza: August 4 - 6 Charleville Castle, Tullamore, Co Offaly Day ticket from €59, weekend ticket from €109
The August Bank Holiday has, in previous years, been one of the wettest weekends on the calendar. But we live in hope. Festival-goers won’t mind donning the raincoats for a line-up that includes Girl Band, Wild Beasts, David Kitt, Heroes in Hiding, King Bones and the ‘keep the party going’ DJs Lumo Club.
Indiependence: Aug4-6 Deer Farm, Mitchelstown, Co Cork Tickets from €119
In the foothills of the Galtee Mountains, headliners Manic Street Preachers and The Coronas will mix with Sigma, Frank Turner, Tom Odell and more to play to a 10,000-capacity crowd.
Beatyard: August 5 and 6 Dun Laoghaire Marina Day tickets from €59, weekend tickets from €89
Take the DART to Dun Laoghaire for Mark Ronson, Air, this year’s Choice Music Prize winners Rusangano Family, disco queen Candi Staton and DJ sets from Horse Meat Disco, Larry Heard, Romare and Fish Go Deep. There’s also foodie paradise, Eatyard, which features over 50 food stalls.
Another Love Story: August 18 - 20, Killyon Manor Tickets from €155
Brought to you by the people behind Happenings and Homebeat, it feels more like a fancy sleepover in a stately manor than a festival. The line-up is yet to be announced but last year Meltybrains?, Saint Sister and Talos topped the bill.
Groove Festival: August 19 and 20, Kilruddery House, Co Wicklow Tickets from €49.50
Primal Scream and one of the UK’s biggest reggae acts, UB40, are some of the headline highlights. The family-focused festival will also include an array of artisan food stands, a host of fun-filled child-friendly activities and access to Thrive, a new lifestyle and wellness event.